Project planning: methods and stages. Project Management: Planning

Before we start talking about project development and planning, it’s worth a little refresher on our understanding of planning as such. The essence of planning is to set goals and determine ways to achieve them by creating a set of activities and actions necessary for implementation, using methods and ways of implementing activities and actions, linking the resources required to perform and coordinating the functions performed by project participants. It is with the issue of planning that we will begin the first lesson (we will immediately make a small disclaimer: there is a lot of information on the development and planning of projects, so we will present it in a concentrated form, dwelling in detail only on the most important points).

Project planning

The work of drawing up a plan includes all stages of the creation and implementation of the project. It begins with the development of the project concept by the leader (project manager), continues with the selection of strategic decisions, development of details, conclusion of contracts and execution of work, and ends with the completion of the project.

At the planning stage, the main parameters for the implementation of the project are established. These include:

Duration of each controllable element of the project
Need for resources (financial, material and technical and labor)
Delivery times for necessary equipment, components, materials, raw materials, etc.
Timing and volumes of attracting organizations (construction, design, etc.)

Any process and any project planning procedure must ensure that the project is completed on time and in compliance with all requirements, including cost, standards and quality. In addition, in a well-organized project, a separate body should be responsible for performing each function and achieving each goal: for the mission of the project - the project manager, for private goals - responsible persons, etc. It is for this purpose that it is customary to develop a responsibility matrix that defines the functionality of performers and specifies the range of their work.

The higher the level of the governing body, the more generalized it makes decisions on the management of lower divisions. As the hierarchical level increases, the time intervals between setting tasks, monitoring their implementation, etc. increase. In these intervals, lower-level units must work independently and independently of their peers. Their independent work is ensured by reserves of resources, which also need to be planned.

Main goal of planning- this is the construction of a project implementation model necessary for coordinating the actions of those involved in the project. Thanks to this model, the order according to which work will be carried out, etc. is established.

At the first stage of project planning, initial plans are developed that serve as the basis for drawing up the project budget, determining resource needs, organizing project support, etc. Planning always precedes control and is considered the basis for its application, because allows you to compare planned and actual indicators.

Planning is the most important process for a project, because the result depends on it. The scope and detail of planning depend on the usefulness of the information that can be obtained during the implementation process and is determined by the design of the project itself. The planning process cannot be fully automated, because it has a lot of variable parameters. Plus, it can be influenced by random factors.

In addition, project planning consists of a number of main and supporting processes.

Main processes (always present):

Planning, documenting and describing the scope of the project
Determining the main stages of the project and breaking them down into smaller components
Budgeting and estimating the cost of resources required to implement the project
Determining and drawing up a step-by-step action plan to ensure the project
Determining the sequence of work
Determination of technological dependencies and restrictions on work
Estimation of work duration, labor costs and other resources required to complete individual works
Resource planning (determining the type of resources for project work and their volume)
Determining the timing of work under conditions of limited resources
Formation of a budget and linking costs according to estimates to specific types of work
Development of a project plan
Collecting the results of other planning processes and organizing them into a single document

Supporting processes (present as needed):

Planning and setting quality standards and determining how to achieve them
Organizational planning, including the definition and distribution of functionality, responsibility and subordination norms
Selecting the people needed to implement the project and forming a team
Establishing the communication and information needs of project members
Identification, assessment and documentation of project risks (establishment of uncertainty factors and the degree of their influence on the project, identification of favorable and unfavorable scenarios for project implementation)
Logistics planning (what, when, where and how to purchase and deliver)

The plans (networks and schedules) that represent the results of planning must ultimately be built into a pyramidal structure that includes all the necessary information, differentiated by levels, deadlines, etc. Project planning and systematization of plans are built on the principles of “feedback”, which ensures regular comparison of planned and actual information and gives the work more efficiency, relevance and flexibility.

Principles of Project Planning

Decisions made and actions taken in the field of project planning are based on several important principles:

The principle of purposefulness. It is expressed in the fact that the project is aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of the project initiator (person, group of people, organization, etc.)
Systematic principle. It assumes that the project is managed as a single whole with its own characteristics of formation and development, but at the same time can be divided into subsystems with their subsequent study, because they are all interconnected and affect each other and the entire project. This allows you to find and create useful connections between subsystems and their effective relationships, to present qualitative and quantitative assessments of the process of implementing the entire project and its individual elements.
The principle of complexity. According to it, phenomena are considered taking into account their dependence and connection, different methods and forms of management are used, the entire set of project management goals is considered at various levels and in various links, individual elements are linked to each other and correlated with the main goal of the project.
The principle of security. It means that all activities provided for by the project must be equipped with all the resources required for their implementation.
The principle of priority. He says that when developing a project and its implementation, the main attention should be paid to the primary tasks determined by the general concept of strategic development.
The principle of economic security of planned events. Economic security should be calculated taking as a basis the probability of losses and damages as a result of the non-fulfillment of the event planned by the project. No innovations in work can eliminate risk, which is why in the practice of project development and planning it is necessary not to avoid risks, but to consciously take justifiable risks in order to reduce them to the maximum possible level.

In addition to the principles that we have named, it is also important to take into account the consistency of the tasks and interests of all persons involved in the development and implementation of the project and the timeliness of achieving the set goals within the prescribed time frame.

Taking into account the features of project planning and the above principles, we can move on to the next equally important issue - breaking down design work into components.

Work breakdown structure, responsibility matrix, cost items

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical structure for sequentially breaking down a project into subprojects and sets of detailed work at different levels. A project management system is the main tool for creating a project management system that allows you to solve various organizational problems, distribute responsibilities, estimate costs, create a reporting system, support the collection of data on the performance of work and display their results. Also, with the help of CPP, it is convenient to coordinate the project plan with the needs of the customer.

For the project manager, the project management system is no less important, because allows:

Determine work and work packages to achieve intermediate goals
Be aware of whether all project goals will be achieved
Create a suitable reporting structure
Determine project progress milestones
Distribute responsibility among performers
Provide team members with an objective understanding of all project tasks and goals

Complexes (packages) of work correspond, as a rule, to the lower level of detail of the work permit and include detailed work, which in turn can consist of steps. Detailed work and steps are not elements of the WBS.

The WDS can be developed top-down (from the main to the specific) and bottom-up (from the specific to the main), or using both approaches. Information for the development of the WDS can be identified using. The final WDS must take into account all the goals of the project and the prerequisites for its implementation.

The detail of the project management system depends on the content of the project, the experience and skills of the team, the management system, the principles of distribution of responsibilities, the reporting system, etc. To create a WBS, functional and technical specifications with general work requirements are often used.

Thanks to the hierarchical structure of the project, which is based on the WBS, it is possible to use procedures for collecting and processing data on the progress of project work in accordance with milestones, work packages, etc. It also allows you to summarize information on deadlines, resources, costs and schedules.

The compilation of the SRR can be based on the following bases:

Project life cycle stages
Features of the organizational structure
Components of the result (product, service, etc.) obtained after the implementation of the project
Functional or process elements of the activities of the organization that implements the project
Geographical location (if projects are distributed spatially)

In practice, combined WBSs are almost always used, created using several bases, and the WBS must include all the work of the project, including detailed work and steps.

One of the most important stages in building a WBS is the analysis of its completeness, so if the project contains work that is controlled not only by the project manager, but also by the customer, they should also be included in the WBS - this will ensure the completeness of the structure.

Taking into account information about the plan of project activities, the breakdown of the project work schedule is carried out according to the criteria and characteristics of the project. The breakdown occurs until all the important activities and elements of the project are identified so that it is possible to plan them, determine their budget, draw up a schedule and an action plan for their control. To simplify and automate the CPP, all its elements need to be assigned an identifier corresponding to the level number. Identifiers should reflect the work breakdown criteria.

It is equally important to avoid a number of mistakes when structuring a project, namely:

Skip the structuring stage and move on to finding solutions to current problems
Use only organizational units, phases or functions in the structuring process, and not final products or applied resources
Forget that one hundred WDS should cover the entire project, omitting the initial and final phases of the project and the work of individual departments
Repeat structure elements
Forgetting to integrate the project structure with the system for preparing project documentation and the financial reporting system
Over- or under-detailing the structure
Create a structure so that it is not subject to computer processing (all elements or levels of the plan must have appropriate coding)
Do not take into account “intangible” final products, for example, services, services, etc.

The project management system is the basis for team members to understand the essence and dependencies of project work, ensuring the subsequent coordinated work of all departments.

The responsibility matrix mentioned above and the project organization's structure chart (SOF) are two tools that help the project manager create a team that meets the project's objectives and goals. The use of SSO and SRR in constructing the responsibility matrix is clearly shown in the following figure:

The composition and plan of the project work greatly influence the form of the organizational structure necessary to achieve the project's goals.

The responsibility matrix allows you to ensure and agree on the structure of responsibility of team members (divisions) for performing work. In essence, this is a form of description of the distribution of responsibility for carrying out project work, where the roles of team members and/or departments are indicated. One axis of the responsibility matrix displays a list of work packages for construction work, and the other - a list of performers responsible for their implementation.

The elements of the matrix are codes for types of work from a list compiled in advance (you can also enter the cost of work into the matrix). The scope of responsibilities is determined by the specifics of the project and its organization, but it is recommended to use a small set of activities that are easy to understand and describe. Below is an example of a responsibility matrix:

The responsibility matrix can display the types of responsibilities of managers and the roles of people who help in the implementation of the project, but do not directly participate in it. If the matrix is drawn up correctly, it will become an excellent tool that ensures both effective execution of work and successful support by internal and external resources.

Persons responsible for the execution of work are appointed when planning the project, because It is necessary to have an idea of available resources even before taking action to implement the plan. Once resources have been identified, it is necessary to determine how they can be obtained; in particular this concerns labor resources.

The appointment of employees is carried out in stages - first a working group is formed, and then a project team, because it is the working group that will become the backbone of the future team. The composition of the working group is determined by the tasks and goals of the project. The group almost always consists of managers, influential members, and key personnel.

The working group takes part in project initiation and planning. At this stage, it is not yet possible to determine resources, because There is only general information about the project, and more detailed data will be obtained after detailed work is carried out and the creation of a project management system. The final appointment of performers and determination of their functionality will take place only after the final development and approval of the plan.

To properly assign responsible persons, you need to be aware of several types of resources that can be used:

Labor resources
Financial resources
Equipment
Technical equipment
Technology and information
Suppliers and materials

Despite the fact that performers do not always have all the levers for managing and using resources, knowledge of the seven types of resources greatly simplifies the process of describing a project and deciding on the distribution of responsibilities, because, as already said, work packages must be provided with everything necessary for their implementation . And to do this, it is important to answer two questions:

What specific resources are required to implement all the work on the project (a list of requirements can be obtained using the work schedule and work schedule)?
What do you already need?

Once these questions have been answered, the final allocation of responsibilities can be made.

Here we must talk about an additional means of planning project work - the structure of cost items. It should not be confused with accounting accounts, because... according to the items included in it, undocumented management information necessary for making management decisions is classified and collected (meaning that there is no documentation confirming actual costs, but there is preliminary data on the resources used, work performed, etc.).

Cost items are a management tool that is used to collect data on the actual costs of work performed and then compare them with the costs according to the plan. The same articles are used for planning and controlling time and cost, because include information about the work assigned based on the WBS. Below you can see an example of the formation of cost items for work packages for which specific departments are responsible (based on the WBS):

Cost items may include data for multiple work packages based on different bases, such as:

Responsible persons
Account structure
Deadlines
Contents of work

Summarizing all of the above about cost items, it only remains to note that they contribute to the formation and monitoring of the project budget, the implementation of current management accounting and the assessment of possible costs after the completion of project work.

Now we can move on to consider the most effective methods of project planning to ensure timely implementation of both the project as a whole and its individual stages.

Network project planning

Methods of network project planning or, as they are also called, network diagrams (graph network, PERT diagram) are a graphical display of project work and the dependencies between them. The concept of “network” here refers to the full range of activities and control points of the project with established dependencies between them.

Network diagrams display a network model as a graph with a series of vertices that correspond to activities, and lines connecting them show the relationships between these activities. A graph, often called a precedence-follow diagram or a vertex-job network, is considered the most common representation of a network. Below you can see an example of a fragment of such a graph:

There is also a type of network diagram called a vertex-event network, but it is not used very often in practical work. In this case, the work takes the form of a line connecting two events (graph nodes) representing the beginning and end of a certain work. A good example of such a chart is a PERT chart - here it is:

Network diagrams are often confused with flowcharts, but this is not entirely true, because... The difference between a network diagram is that it displays only the logical dependencies of activities, while a flowchart shows inputs, outputs and processes. There are also no repeating cycles (loops) in the diagram.

Network planning methods are methods aimed at minimizing the duration of a project. They are based on the critical path method (MCP or CPM (from the English Critical Path Method)) and the method of evaluating and revising plans (PERT (from the English Program Evaluation Review Technique)).

The critical path refers to the longest path in the network, and the jobs along this path are called critical. The minimum duration of design work depends on the duration of the critical path. The overall project duration can be reduced by reducing critical activities. Thus, delays in the completion of work entail an increase in the duration of the project.

Using the critical path method, you can calculate approximate schedules for completing a package of work based on the logical structure of the network and estimates of the duration of individual activities, as well as establish an overall critical path for the project.

There is also the concept of a complete reserve (reserve) of time. This is the difference between the late and early start or finish dates of work. The managerial essence of time reserve is that there is an opportunity to resolve financial, resource or technological constraints, and the project manager can suspend work for the period available in the reserve without fear of negatively affecting the final completion date of the project. The slack time for critical work is zero.

A horizontal line chart where project tasks are represented by time segments with specific time parameters (start, finish, delays, etc.) is called a Gantt chart, and it is also an integral part of network planning. Here is her example:

For effective planning, it is convenient to use PERT charts, a network graph, and a Gantt chart. Network planning itself implies a description of all project work in the form of a set of works with specific relationships between them. To calculate and analyze a network diagram, a set of network operations called critical path method procedures are typically used.

The network model is being developed in stages:

Lists of design work are determined
Work parameters are assessed
Dependencies between jobs are established

Work lists need to be defined to describe all project activities, including all details. Work is the main element of the network model. Work packages define the activities that must be performed to achieve project results. The results are usually highlighted with control points.

Before developing a network model, you need to make sure that the lower level of the WDS includes all the work that guarantees the achievement of specific design goals. The network model is the result of defining dependencies between activities and adding connecting events and activities. In its most general form, the approach presented is based on the assumption that any work is intended to help achieve a particular goal. Connective work does not necessarily have to be aimed at achieving a material result, because their goal may be to organize a particular event, etc.

The main task of the project manager is to evaluate the parameters of the work. For this purpose, other project participants responsible for completing individual project tasks may be involved. Assessing the duration of work and the need for financial resources and resources most directly affects the relevance of resource and cost plans and schedules, which are drawn up after analyzing the network model. Such an assessment must be carried out for each of the works. Then, on its basis, the levels of SRR in the project plan are generalized and formed.

In order for individual stages of the project and the entire project as a whole to be implemented on time, it is also necessary to plan the project according to time parameters. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

Planning a project based on time parameters

Time parameters should be understood here as the time periods during which work and work packages are planned to be completed, as well as control points of the project implementation process. Time is the most important factor affecting the effectiveness of the entire plan.

The timing of the implementation of project elements and the entire project is always planned in advance, and, of course, it is desirable to minimize them. But minimizing deadlines is limited by three parameters: technical capabilities, technological requirements and quality of work. All this must be taken into account when planning.

Planning according to time parameters is a key element of project management, which includes several components. These components are:

Concept of project management based on time parameters
Project scheduling
Monitoring the progress of design work
Analysis and regulation of work progress
Closing project management

It is often difficult to complete a project within a given time frame. The reason for this is a unclear understanding of what exactly needs to be managed, and most of the problems arise at the planning stage.

The reason for discrepancies with the schedule may be delays in deliveries, lack of resources, etc. If the scope and subject areas of the project are incorrectly determined, subsequently adjustments will have to be made to the work and schedule.

When a manager is dealing with typical recurring projects, it is convenient to accurately determine the time and sequence of actions, although in practice projects are repeated extremely rarely.

If we talk about the reasons for temporary losses in a project, they include:

Inadequate quality and budgeting management
No contingency plan for unexpected costs
Poor distribution of risks among project participants
Lack of structure in the communication system
Difficult to implement project reporting system

Another important component of project management based on time parameters is the management of personal time resources. This is relevant for every performer and project participant, but it is more important for the manager, because he is responsible for the success of the project, which means he needs to have time to do a lot of all kinds of work.

To improve personal time management, it is advisable to use so-called forms. The form is a list of work required to be completed, indicating the performers and deadlines. The highest priority work should be moved to time blocks of the planning calendar. A planning calendar might look like this:

Unscheduled events or lower priority work can be added to empty time blocks. In cases where the amount of work exceeds the amount of time, work can be planned several days in advance. But you shouldn’t abuse this, otherwise there may be delays in completing high-priority tasks. And given that low-priority work may increase in priority in subsequent days, all tasks should be completed on time.

To do this, you need to correctly set priorities and act in accordance with them. The project manager should not be distracted by secondary and unclear tasks and procrastinate in making important decisions. He must also be able to delegate authority.

And the last thing we will focus on in the first lesson is some organizational issues.

Organization of project planning work

Project planning is the process of forming decisions that determine the sequence of project work and activities. It plays a dominant role in project management, representing the organizing beginning of the project implementation process.

Project planning includes several stages:

Setting goals and objectives
Resource calculation
Creating a work duration schedule
Optimization of the work schedule
Organization of work execution
Creation of a calendar plan for increasing the complexity of work
Monitoring the progress of work
Adjustment of work progress

A project implementation plan is a comprehensive plan containing a comprehensive system of tasks and goals, detailed work, actions and activities to achieve the main goal of the project. Great attention should be paid to drawing up an implementation plan, trying to avoid common mistakes, such as:

Setting the wrong goals
Using incomplete information
Ignoring past experience
Ignoring the issue of resource availability
Lack of attention to coordination of project participants
Ignoring the motivation of performers
Excessive attention to plan detail
Making a plan for the sake of a plan and ignoring control over adherence to the plan

Despite the fairly large number of errors and their specificity, taking into account all the planning elements that we told you about helps you avoid them. It is only important to remember that project planning is a systematic arrangement of tasks, the purpose of which is to achieve the main result - the implementation of the project. And taking into account the fact that the plan always contains instructions for actions and the actions themselves, it can be safely considered a standard or guideline with which actual indicators will be compared. If, as a result of such comparisons, any discrepancies are found, it is necessary to take measures to adjust the plan.

In the second lesson we will talk about another important element of project management for a manager - team management. Issues such as the composition of project participants, the functions of a project manager, features of the formation and development of a project team, characteristics and composition of a team, conflict resolution and a number of others will be considered.

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. For each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on completion. Please note that the questions are different each time and the options are mixed.

INTRODUCTION

Project management is about drawing up a plan and tracking the progress of work on it. Accordingly, the better the project plan, the more accurately it is drawn up, the easier it is to then carry out design work and successfully complete the project.

To plan well, you need, first of all, to have a good idea of what a project is and what elements its plan consists of.

The activity of any organization is to carry out operations and projects. Both have much in common, for example, they are performed by people, for which limited resources are allocated.

The main difference between operations and projects is that operations are ongoing and repetitive, whereas projects are temporary and unique. Based on this, a project is defined as a temporary effort undertaken to create a unique product or service. “Temporary” means that each project has a specific start and end date. When we talk about a product or service being unique, we mean that it is noticeably different from similar products or services.

The uniqueness of each project creates difficulties in planning it, since it is often difficult to predict how the results will actually be achieved. Therefore, the result of project activity is not only a product or service, but also lessons learned, that is, experience that is used in the future when planning and executing subsequent projects.

PROJECT PLANNING

The planning stage is one of the most important. At this stage, the tasks, budget and time frame of the project are determined. Quite often, planning is understood only as scheduling work, losing sight of resource management, budgeting, etc.

A complete planning technique includes the following steps:

1) Definition of project goals and their description. Quite often, projects start without a clear goal.
2) Determination of technological stages. An implementation technology must be selected for the project, which determines the stages of project development. One of the typical planning errors is the discrepancy between the plan and the technological cycle.
3) For technological stages, it is necessary to determine a list of tasks, indicate their relationships (sequence) and predicted duration (depending on the assigned resources).
4) It is necessary to agree on the resources allocated to the project. It should be noted that all company resources must be distributed centrally. Quite often, a planning error occurs due to the fact that some scarce resources are used simultaneously in two different projects at the same time.
5) If you determine the prices for resources, the budget can also be obtained automatically. One of the typical mistakes is that the budget is assigned without paying attention to the projected cost of the project.
6) The written assignment, budget, and work schedule form the formal “Project Plan” document. Quite often, before the start of a project, some of these documents are missing; the consequences of this will be discussed below.

Thus, for the success of project planning, a number of factors are important and must be taken into account:

· class of tasks to be solved, number of copies of the finished product, type of work (development, development, support);
· selection of a work plan (life cycle model) taking into account the complexity of the project and the capabilities of the development team;
· experience in the subject area and development automation tools;
· equipping developers with automation tools and hardware and software base;
· level of customer requirements for timing and quality of work.

In a well-organized project, a specific management body should be responsible for the implementation of each goal: the project manager, for all goals (project mission), responsible executors for private goals, etc. That is, the tree of project goals must coincide with the structure of the organizational unit responsible for the implementation of the project. For this purpose, a so-called patrix of responsibility is being developed, which defines the functional responsibilities of the project performers and specifies the set of works for the implementation of which they are personally responsible.

The main goal of planning is to build a model for project implementation.

Common planning mistakes

Planning using the wrong goals. Any project in its content is intended to solve a problem, satisfy a specific need, etc. Depending on this, certain specific goals are formulated. If the problem is unclear and not clearly formulated, then you can encounter a common mistake when the right decision is made, but it is not known exactly what problem it is.

To avoid such a situation, it is necessary to find out the real basis for the work: record - preferably documented - a description of the problems and needs that must be resolved upon completion of the project; establish how the solution to specific problems is reflected in the description of the goals and objectives of the project. Only after this can you start planning.

Planning based on incomplete data. A similar situation is typical when it is necessary to plan work, the beginning of which, and possibly the very fact of its implementation, depends on the results of test tests or successes/failures in previous phases.

A similar situation often occurs in projects for the development and adaptation of information systems. The customer has an irresistible desire to receive a finished tool as quickly as possible. However, he only has a vague idea of the capabilities of the software he has chosen and what he wants to automate. On the other hand, software suppliers know very little about the actual management processes (functional, information, organizational structures) in the customer's organization. And only when they begin to implement the project, the process of mutual information and training begins. Clarification of the statement leads to a significant, sometimes several times, increase in the volume of work and a change in its goals and composition.

Planning is carried out with the involvement of only planners. Such a planning organization can lead to significant losses due to lack of consideration of important factors. As a rule, seemingly insignificant details or circumstances are forgotten, failure to comply with which, nevertheless, can lead to colossal losses. Therefore, those responsible for specific project work, those responsible for project financing, for supplies, etc. should also be involved in planning. Not to mention the psychological aspects of implementing the plan, in the development of which specific performers did not take part.

Planning without taking into account previous experience. Even with the best estimates, without the use of previous experience in implementing similar projects, serious planning errors can be made.

Planning resources without taking into account their availability. This concerns, first of all, labor resources with certain qualifications and the ability to arrive at a given time in a given place to carry out work on the project. Another problem is if the same group of specialists is planned in several simultaneously running projects.

Planning without taking into account motivation. As a rule, performers from functional departments that have their own are attracted to work on projects. Management, their own goals and specific tasks and, of course, their own form of remuneration, which usually have nothing to do with the goals and objectives of the project. Therefore, performers do not feel the responsibility and importance of the project work without proper incentives for the results of their activities. But the project manager is not endowed with sufficient rights to stimulate performers and cannot form a financial incentive budget based on the results of the project.

Planning with excessive detail. When a project is planned in too much detail , problems arise when analyzing, planning and monitoring its status - for example, what is completed and what is the delay. Moreover, it is difficult to effectively manage a large number of resources, determine time delays, estimate costs, and develop realistic Schedules acceptable for management purposes. Excessive detail in taking into account factors leads to the need to resolve a huge number of conflicts, to frequent changes, to the need for constant coordination with other projects being carried out at the same time. However, excessive enlargement can also lead to problems with loss of controllability. A golden mean is needed when the project plans only those parameters that can and should be controlled.

What you need to avoid planning mistakes (a few tips):

· a list of problems to be solved must be formulated for the project;
· the main goal of the project (mission) must be brought to the attention of all participants;
· risks must be identified and, if possible, accidents excluded;
· it is necessary to ensure that the project strategy can be implemented and satisfies the budget, time and scope constraints (a PCTS feasibility analysis was carried out: P - Performance, C - Cost, T - Time, S - Scope. Costs are a function of the level execution P, time T and content, scope of work S);
· the presence of positive results of the analysis of the “pros and cons” of the project implementation (a Force-field analysis was carried out, which consists of a description and quantitative assessment of factors that may facilitate and hinder the implementation of the project);
· the final result must be clear to all members of the project team;
· indicators for assessing the results of project activities should assess the state of affairs with the necessary accuracy. It is advisable to develop in-house performance assessment scales by type of work.

Defining Project Goals

Setting goals first means that the project must begin with a statement of purpose. In this case, the goal must be recorded in writing in the form of measurable indicators.

Stage of problem formulation, this stage is carried out under a consulting agreement, i.e. stage payment is time-based. Due to the uncertainty of the task, it is impossible to plan its cost in advance. The cost of the stage is approximately equal to 10% of the cost of all work.

The main product of the stage is the “Problem Statement” document (Product Vision).

This document should define the purpose of the project and include a list of key requirements without detailed explanation. An important criterion: despite the lack of a detailed description, the list must be amenable to statistical evaluation of labor intensity with a standard deviation (risk) within an acceptable range.

Based on the “Problem Statement”, it is required to draw up an “Economic Justification” document.

This document must contain a statistical assessment of the labor intensity (cost) of the work. On the other hand, an analysis of the economic effect of implementation must be made.

The analysis uses statistics on the labor intensity (efficiency) of similar projects. In the absence of these statistics, errors in estimates are inevitable, by an order of magnitude; in this case, you should try to obtain statistics based on the results of the development/demonstration of prototypes.

The risk assessment must be expressed in the form of a possible excess of labor intensity (pessimistic assessment). It is from this assessment that one should proceed when determining the total labor intensity (price) of the product.

As a result, we have a vaguely formulated task in the “Problem Statement” and an estimate of the cost in the “Economic Justification”. Risks from unclear requirements must be covered by a pessimistic assessment. Condition for completing the stage: signing by the parties of the “Problem Statement” and “Economic Justification”.

Resource management and planning

management project planning resource

Resource management is one of the main subsystems of project management. Includes the processes of planning, purchasing, supply, distribution, accounting, and control of resources, usually labor and logistics. The task of resource management is to ensure their optimal use to achieve the ultimate goal - the formation of a project result with planned indicators.

Material and technical resources are raw materials, materials, structures, components, energy resources, technological resources, etc.

Labor resources are those who directly work with material and technical resources.

Management of project material resources essentially begins at the pre-investment phase when developing a feasibility study; during the planning phase, resource requirements and the possibility of providing them are worked out. Practice shows that at any given time resources are limited and therefore the main tasks of resource management are:

1. Optimal resource planning
2. Logistics management, including:
- · resource procurement management;
- · resource allocation management.

The concept of resources is interconnected with the concept of “work”, since resources do not relate to the project as a whole, but to specific work performed in a planned sequence corresponding to the project work schedule.

Planning and organization of purchases and supplies - the first stage in project resource management. Consists of stages including selecting suppliers, placing orders and monitoring supplies.

At the planning stage, a balanced analysis of work packages and consumed resources is carried out, taking into account restrictions and their forecast distribution based on resource demand schedules. Project resource planning is the basis for determining resource requirements in time and determining the possibility of providing resources for concluding contracts for the purchase of resources, planning the supply of resources, as well as the basis for distributing already purchased resources for project work.

As a main component of project management, resource planning includes a number of components, including:

· development and balanced analysis of work packages and resources aimed at achieving project goals;
· development of a resource distribution system and appointment of responsible executors;
· monitoring the progress of work - comparing planned work parameters with actual ones and developing corrective actions.

Resources act as providing components of the project work, including performers, energy, materials, equipment, etc. Accordingly, the resource requirement function can be associated with each work, and resource requirements for the project as a whole can be calculated using scheduling methods and matching methods can ensure compliance needs, availability or ability to provide resources.

In principle, when planning to meet resource requirements for project activities, one general rule should be taken into account: the total volume of requirements for each type of resource at each point in time within the project life cycle must be no less than the total volume of availability of this resource at that moment, taking into account reserves.

Project Cost Estimation

Depending on the stage of the project life cycle and the purpose of the assessment, various types and methods of estimating the cost of the project are used. Based on the purposes of the assessments, the accuracy of such assessments also varies. We will not consider in detail, but you need to keep in mind that the biggest error occurs, of course, in the stabilizing stage of the project, when errors in a certain version are being identified and corrected; it is also possible that everything that was done was not implemented correctly ( in the sense of technology), but this already refers to illiterate design.

To estimate the cost of a project, you need to know the cost of the resources that make up the project, the time it takes to complete the work, and the cost of this work.

Thus, cost estimation begins with determining the resource and work structure of the project. These tasks are solved as part of project planning, and the cost estimation module should receive the results of this process. The cost of the project is determined by the resources necessary to perform the work.

Planning is the foundation on which any project is built. And the stronger it is, the more likely it is that the project will be successful. This is why there is a project management plan, consisting of three blocks: activities (goals, project concepts, resource purposes, etc.), tasks and resources (people, equipment, money, etc.).

What is a project management plan?

A project management plan is a document that specifies all elements of the project: from activities and resources to criteria for assessing success and risks. In developing this plan, the project manager attempts to cover the entire project, from initiation to closure.

The project management plan is the most important document when creating a project - at the level of stakeholder involvement. Just as a project cannot be implemented without the participation of a stakeholder, a project will fail without a well-thought-out management plan. Documents such as a plan for managing costs, deadlines, quality, risks, resources, etc. — parts of a broader management plan.

In traditional project management, the plan includes constraints at all five stages: start, planning, execution, monitoring and completion. Agile projects cannot be planned to completion due to the nature of working in an agile model. Therefore, plans are developed and approved throughout the project life cycle.

Typically there are two management plans involved in a project:

base— approved by management (customer). It determines the success of tasks, and controls deadlines and quality.
worker— unlike the previous one, the project manager makes changes to it according to new information or tasks.

What is it for?

A good project management plan should answer basic questions:

Why?— What problem does the project solve, what is its value? Why is the project sponsored?
What?— What are the main products (deliveries) of the project? What needs to be done for successful completion?
Who?— Who will be involved in working on the project and what will each participant be responsible for? In what format will they be organized?
When?— What is the time frame for the project? When will the key points - milestones - be achieved?

Milestone - a control point during a project (for example, the transition to a new iteration).

The objectives of the Project Management Plan are:

Key components of a project management plan

It will not be possible to draw up project management plans using one template, but there is a set of basic elements, knowing which, it is easy to build the framework of a future project:

brief description of the plan- a couple of paragraphs about the key elements of the project that are revealed in the plan.
strategic and organizational alignment— this includes the results of stakeholder analysis and organizational goals that will be supported during the project.
defining the project scope— this item includes the following elements: task and goals, expected results, tools PBS And WBS. In the section, it is also important to indicate quality specifications - criteria for the effectiveness of a product or service from the client’s point of view.

PBS (product breakdown structure) is a tool for analyzing, documenting and communicating project results. PBS is part of the product-based planning methodology (one of the main methods in the PRINCE2 project management model).

WBS (work breakdown structure) is a hierarchical breakdown of project work into smaller tasks (operations) to the level where the methods of performing the work are clear and it is possible to evaluate and plan.

feasibility assessment and contingency plans— contains an assessment of the economic, technical and organizational feasibility of the project, identification and analysis of risks, proposes action plans in critical situations to eliminate risk factors.
restrictions- a list of known constraints imposed by the environment or management (fixed budget, lack of resources, etc.).
requirements for the project team— determination of the organization of the project team, the roles and responsibilities of the participants. Training requirements are also stated here.
material requirements- includes elements of space, software, equipment and other resources to complete the project.
schedule and milestones— This section defines the project's milestones and activity schedule, including three key elements: deliverables (work deliverables), dates or durations, and critical dependencies.
budget (estimate)— expected expenses are usually divided into three types: capital (purchase of a warehouse for storing products), expenses (weekly purchases of materials for procurement) and labor (payment of salaries to team members)
Management of risks— a detailed description of the risk management process: from identification (through brainstorming, interviewing, SWOT analysis) to the selection of a monitoring system (pro- or reactive).
change management— similar to the previous point, but only concerns possible changes (and there will be many of them). Here it is worth prescribing an algorithm for implementing changes, management methodologies (ADKAR, AIM and others), a formula for calculating the probability of success of changes, etc.
communications management— the point concerns both the team and stakeholders. The project manager in this section should describe the communication system that will be used and the channels for communicating project performance documentation to project parties.
attachments— any documents can go here: from individual notes to presentations and certificates.

The list of sections of the plan is supplemented depending on the characteristics of a particular project.

Basic and detailed project plans

While working on a project, the project manager, team members and stakeholders work with two types of plans:

base— primary, stable, approved by the customer or other pre-agreed person, agreed upon with all interested parties.
worker— a version of the basic plan that displays changes in terms of timing, cost, and other project parameters.

During the development of the project you can compare the basic and working plans, understand where the work is “sagging”, and where, on the contrary, the project is being completed faster (more economically) than planned. In rare cases Changes as the project progresses are made to the baseline management plan.

In Worksection, the Gantt chart allows you to see the difference between the basic and working plan
(blue - total time, red - overdue tasks, green - completed tasks on time)

Development of a project management plan

As is the case with the key elements of a project management plan, there is no single correct algorithm for developing it.

We have designed a simple step-by-step procedure for writing a plan, consisting of 16 points:

Determine the starting conditions for developing the plan— it is important to understand with whom you will develop it (alone, with the participation of management, stakeholders), where and when, etc. It is important to prescribe in advance the methods (for example, brainstorming) and software (such as Microsoft Visual Studio) that will be used in creating the plan - this will significantly save time and simplify the task.
Determine the starting conditions of the project— this describes the content of the project, a list of requirements for results and its management. For example, a project was conceived to sell high-quality neon spinners with superhero prints. As a result of the successful implementation of the annual project, 100,000 units of goods should be sold within 12 months from the start of the project, after which the business will be sold. The project management structure will consist of a general project manager in the central office and relevant departments in the regional project offices.
Separate the actions you perform those that will be done by the project team, and outsourcing.
Create a project WBS, breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks. This is similar to the Agile approach, where the complete code is divided into many small working chunks.
Write a set of tasks to complete each part of the WBS and build dependencies between them. Thus, the task of purchasing and arranging a regional warehouse for storing spinners can be completed only after analyzing the market and selling a certain amount of goods in a specific area.
Determine the required competencies to perform each task. It is important here not to tailor the required knowledge and skills to potential project participants, but to focus on the “ideal” requirements.
Estimate time and money costs to complete tasks.
Develop a project. The methodology is good for the grocery business, and it is easy to display through diagrams (for example, a Gantt chart).
Create a project schedule— start, intermediate, end dates. For example, a simplified scheme: on November 1, the project is launched, on December 1 - the start of sales for the New Year, on December 31 - summing up the results of New Year's sales, on January 15 - the launch of a specialized line for Valentine's Day, on February 20 - summing up the results, etc.
Calculate the cost of the project(in our case, how much will it cost to successfully sell 100,000 spinners and sell the business).
Specify quality requirements(for example, prescribed quality standards for manufacturing spinners).
Assign specific people responsible for tasks. This is where point 6 comes in handy, with a list of which you will associate the competencies of team members.
Plan the format of work with stakeholders— select communication channels, determine the degree of their involvement in the work on the project, etc.
Calculate the risks (for example, using the cumulative method formula). In our example with spinners, this could be a banal oversaturation of the market, violation of the terms of the contract by forwarders, etc. In your risk analysis, use the data from the previous paragraphs.
Write down the project limitations and, taking them into account, enter data into the project management plan. In our case, spinner parts are delivered from China, assembly takes place in Ukraine, and this already limits the possibility of strict quality control of materials and quick changeover.
Go through all the points of the plan again to achieve zen. All that remains is to finalize the list of purchases and requirements for them, coordinate them with stakeholders - and you have a ready-made project management plan in your hands.

The cumulative risk calculation method is a method for assessing risk factors that may prevent you from receiving the planned income. When constructing a discount rate using this method, the risk-free rate of return is taken as a basis, and the rate of return for the risk of investing in a project or company is added to it.

In Vladislav Gagarsky, as an example, he gives the following statement scheme:

Project team leaders submit the jointly developed plan to the project manager.
The manager approves the project management plan or, in case of errors, organizes changes.
The project manager transfers the approved plan to the project team leaders for further implementation.

But this scheme is more suitable for ready-made teams who carry out several projects one after another or have changed their activity profile. For those who decided to write and approve a project management plan from scratch, the technique will not work. In such cases, the basic project is approved by the head of the company or project (customer) at the request of the project manager.

Verdict

Not lifesaver.

It will be a declaration initially without tools for its implementation. A tool can become with it projects/tasks/subtasks and taking into account money, time and those responsible directly in the tasks. This is the best way to organize the visual work of the company, where the connection between the basic and working plans is obvious to everyone.

But the plan is the start that will determine 50% of the project’s success.

The essence of planning is to set goals and ways to achieve them based on the formation of a set of works (events, actions) that must be performed, the use of methods and means for implementing these works, linking the resources necessary for their implementation, and coordinating the actions of the organizations participating in the project.

Plan development activities cover all stages of project creation and execution. It begins with the participation of the project manager (project manager) in the development of the project concept, continues with the selection of strategic decisions for the project, as well as in the development of its details, including the preparation of contract proposals, contracting, execution of work, and ends with the completion of the project.

At the planning stage, all the necessary parameters for the implementation of the project are determined: the duration for each of the controlled elements of the project, the need for labor, material, technical and financial resources, the delivery time of raw materials, materials, components and technological equipment, the timing and volume of involvement of design, construction and other organizations . Project planning processes and procedures must ensure the feasibility of the project within a given time frame at a minimum cost, within the limits of standard resource costs and with adequate quality.

The planning process begins before the scope of work is approved and continues throughout the project and changes. Each phase of the project life cycle provides for a certain type of planning with its inherent techniques and tools.

Planning is a cyclical process. It starts with a very general definition of goals and moves toward a more detailed description of when, how, and what work must be done to achieve the goals. As a project moves from concept to completion, additional information becomes available about conditions affecting progress. Using project planning and management tools allows team members to more clearly describe problems and control project changes more effectively.

Planning is a set of interconnected procedures. The first stage of project planning is the development of initial plans, which are the basis for developing the project budget, determining resource requirements, organizing project support, concluding contracts, etc. Project planning precedes control of the project and is the basis for its application, since a comparison is made between planned and actual indicators.

The specific structure of plans used at different levels and stages of project planning depends on the standards and approaches adopted in the industry and in the organizations implementing the project. For example, in the construction industry, project documentation includes estimate documentation supplied by the customer and detailed by the contractors, the construction plan of the facility, organizational and technological schemes for the construction of facilities, work schedules and receipt of construction materials at the site. In industrial projects, work schedules are based on design and technological documentation, in information projects - on the system specification.

A complete planning technique includes the following steps:

1) Definition of project goals and their description. Quite often, projects start without a clear goal.
2) Determination of technological stages. An implementation technology must be selected for the project, which determines the stages of project development. One of the typical planning errors is the discrepancy between the plan and the technological cycle.
3) For technological stages, it is necessary to determine a list of tasks, indicate their relationships (sequence) and predicted duration (depending on the assigned resources).
4) It is necessary to agree on the resources allocated to the project. It should be noted that all company resources must be distributed centrally. Quite often, a planning error occurs due to the fact that some scarce resources are used simultaneously in two different projects at the same time.
5) If you determine the prices for resources, the budget can also be obtained automatically. One of the typical mistakes is that the budget is assigned without paying attention to the projected cost of the project.
6) The written assignment, budget, and work schedule form the formal “Project Plan” document. Quite often, some of these documents are missing before starting a project.

Thus, for the success of project planning, a number of factors are important and must be taken into account:

· class of tasks to be solved, number of copies of the finished product, type of work (development, development, support);
· selection of a work plan (life cycle model) taking into account the complexity of the project and the capabilities of the development team;
· experience in the subject area and development automation tools;
· equipping developers with automation tools and hardware and software base;
· level of customer requirements for timing and quality of work.

In a well-organized project, a specific management body should be responsible for the implementation of each goal: the project manager, for all goals (project mission), responsible executors for private goals, etc. That is, the tree of project goals must coincide with the structure of the organizational unit responsible for the implementation of the project. For this purpose, a so-called responsibility matrix is being developed, which defines the functional responsibilities of project performers and specifies the set of works for the implementation of which they are personally responsible.

The main purpose of planning is to build a model for project implementation. It is necessary to coordinate the activities of project participants; with its help, the order in which work should be performed, etc. is determined.

The main stages of the planning process are shown in Table 1 and include nine steps. At each step, the project manager may discover inefficiency or impossibility of implementing the project and raise the question of its closure.

Table 1 - Main stages of the project planning process

		Result
	Concept development and planning of project goals.
	Decomposition of project goals, construction of a hierarchical work structure (WBS).
	Appointment of those responsible. Construction of a structural diagram of the organization (SSO) of the project.
	Developing a project implementation strategy, building a plan based on milestones.
	Development of project tactics, construction of network models.	How in detail?
	Development of an ideal work schedule.	When is ideal?
	Resource planning, development of a realistic work schedule taking into account resource restrictions.	Realistically, when?
	Cost estimation, budget development.
	Development and adoption of a project plan.	Has everything been taken into account?

For the implementation of large and complex projects, it becomes advisable to use auxiliary project planning procedures:

· quality planning;
· planning risks and measures to deal with them;
· organizational planning;
· communications planning.

In each specific case, the project manager, based on the result/cost ratio, must assess the feasibility of using one or another auxiliary procedure available in the arsenal of project technologies.

Figure 3 Project planning flowchart

Steps

Part 1

Project selection

Get started early. You should always start completing a task immediately after receiving it. It’s not for nothing that your teacher spent so much time on it; this is exactly how much you will need to successfully implement the project. Start making a plan right away so that you can accomplish everything you have planned. This way you will save yourself from sleepless nights before submitting the project.

Check out the assignment. It contains a detailed description of the task at hand. Abstract from everything extraneous and carefully read the task. If your teacher has not already done this, break the project down into its components so that you understand exactly what is expected of you.

For example, you might receive the following assignment: “Make a presentation on the topic of the American Civil War. You can choose one battle, idea, speech, turning point, or focus on the war as a whole. Don’t forget about important dates and characters.”
Such a project can be divided into several parts: 1) A visual representation of the Civil War. 2) The central theme of the project. 3) Important dates. 4) Key players.

Development of ideas. Brainstorming allows you to put your ideas on paper. Typically, a person writes down thoughts that come to mind and makes connections between them to start the creative process. This practice helps you focus on the idea you want, as well as think about things that haven't occurred to you yet. There are a number of effective techniques that can be used during the brainstorming process.

Choose a topic. Resist the possible urge to take on a large topic (for example, cover the entire Civil War) and try to narrow the issue covered. This way you won't drown in a sea of facts and details.

Choose how to present your project. This article is based on a presentation example, so it's important to decide how your ideas will be displayed. If you have selected several important events, you can use a time diagram. If your work is based on geographic aspects (for example, battles), then you can develop a detailed map. The presentation should be built around a central idea.
- How about a 3D view? You can try to create a 3D battle map showing the movement of troops.
- You can also try making papier-mâché sculptures. You can even make Abraham Lincoln and tell your story using his quotes.

Part 2

Work plan

Make a sketch. Once you've decided how to implement the project, it's time to sketch it out. You will need an outline and a visual presentation of each item. Also decide on the information content of the project, which will require research work. Make notes on the information you need.
- Start with the central topic you want to cover. If it's the Gettysburg Address, put it in the title at the top of the paper.
- Next, divide the central topic into subsections. You can call them “Historical background”, “Place of utterance” and “Influence on the course of the war”.
- Under each subsection, list the key points. For example, under “Historical Background” you might write the date, the battle that preceded it, and the reasons that prompted Lincoln to give his speech.
Make a list of the materials you need. Before you begin, you should have a list of supplies on hand, ranging from research materials to art supplies. Group them by location - home, library and store.

Organize your time. The project must consist of subtasks. Divide your assignment into manageable chunks: “collecting materials,” “talking information,” “writing,” “artwork,” and “final assembly.”

Gather everything you need. Take the time to collect all the necessary materials in one place. If you need to go to the store, ask your parents to give you a ride. Gather all materials from the project location.

Part 3

Collection of information

Identify the necessary sources of information. What sources would you prefer to use? Thus, for a history project, books and scientific articles are best suited. You can also read articles in newspapers to feel the spirit of that time, as well as read personal correspondence of famous figures.

Determine the required number of sources. When doing a comprehensive project in high school, you will need more sources than you would for a middle school student. In the first case, you should use at least eight to ten sources, while in the second you can get by with one or two books.

Visit the library. The librarian will be your guide through the available materials. For example, you can use a general catalog to search for books. To search for scientific articles, you will need a specialized database, which is located in another tab.

We cut off the excess. Having collected a significant amount of materials, they should be sorted and only the really important ones should be left. Some articles or books may only indirectly relate to your topic and without them your work will lose nothing.

Take notes and cite sources. Always take notes on the topic. Do not lose important details, but try to express the idea in your own words. When writing notes, it is important to indicate the bibliographic information of the source used.

Project planning: methods and stages. Project Management: Planning